HawaiiLanaiMolokaiMauiOahuKauaiHawaiiHonoluluTRAVELANDLEISURE.COM (^33)
EXPERIENCES
ILLUSTRATION BY MAY PARSEY
therapist took pictures with a Sensei-developed
thermographic camera to locate inflammation.
Then she showed me an eerie image: my shins a
soothing blue, my neck and shoulder blades the
angry red of molten lava, a sign they’d need
extra attention. The high-tech approach
worked. The lomilomi massage, using oil
scented with local ti leaf, was heavenly;
afterward, the therapist brought fish tacos for
lunch. Why can’t every massage end in tacos?
Throughout my stay, LaLonde would check
in, instantly available but always low-key, and
tweak my schedule as needed. Under her
assiduous direction, I found that the most
restorative part of a wellness regime was merely
having the time to think. I finally had space to
fully enjoy the quiet moments, like watching
amethyst-colored birds flit among the hibiscus
during my meditation sessions or humming as
I wandered to the stable to visit the miniature
horses, donkeys, and dwarf goats that—why
not?—live alongside the horses. One windswept
night, I meandered over to one of the eight spring-
fed outdoor tubs and slipped in for a soak as I
gazed out at a blue-black sky glittering with stars.
Normally, I’m a spiky New Yorker, but by my
last day, I was floating around with a blissed-out
smile, one step away from greeting people with
“namaste.” Yes, it’s a splurge—even with the
plane, and all the complimentary Billecart-
Salmon you can tip back. But this plush hideout
is a little bit surreal and entirely unforgettable.fourseasons.com; doubles from $3,130,
all-inclusive; three-night minimum.healthy gut bacteria that took place over a long
hike along the spectacular Koloiki Ridge.
Alongside the custom schedule, the resort
offers up to 16 daily activities, many exuberantly
over-the-top. There’s a stable of 25 horses for
riding, an 18-hole putting green, and a clay
shooting range. I decided against the aerial
adventure course (with 70 obstacles providing
“a variety of opportunities for personal growth”)
and opted for a workshop about connective
tissue, “Functional Fascia,” and a trip to the
golden beach at the nearby Four Seasons Resort
Lanai for sunning and snorkeling.
When I wasn’t working on my “wellness
journey,” I was gleefully stuffing my face at
Sensei by Nobu, a restaurant overlooking a
tranquil pond. I found chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s
first wellness menu, available only at the resort,
clean but richly satisfying. I loved it all, from my
meltingly tender Wagyu steak with mushrooms
from Sensei’s farm to roasted snapper with
tomato ponzu to pineapple shave ice with the
best coconut ice cream I’ve ever had. There’s
alcohol, too, and even a morning bread basket.
If I hadn’t been told the croissants were made
with quinoa flour, I’d never have known.
Treatments take place in 10 teak-paneled
stand-alone hales (“houses” in Hawaiian), each
with its own steam shower, infrared sauna, and
deep wooden ofuro tub. The privacy was a
dream: No hurriedly changing among strangers
in the dressing room. No sitting in the midst of a
chattering bachelorette party in the spa lounge.
No studiously avoiding eye contact with the
only other person in the steam room.
As I reclined on a massage table, myThe 1,100-square-
foot yoga pavilion
sits in a secluded
corner of the
property.TAL0620_E_Lanai.indd 33 FINAL 4/21/20 7:40 PM